Project Traxex

[Sephonia]

Hey everyone! First time building a rig with intentions of overclocking and I'm going to need some help (but that's for another forum). I'm moving from an older gaming/school PC to a much newer and nicer setup as follows:

Intel I7-4770k 3.5GHz (which I'll certainly be bumping up)
Corsair H100i Sealed loop CPU cooler
Asus Maximus VI Formula ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory
Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (boot drive as well as UE4/UDK/Visual studio etc.)
Western Digital Black 2TB HDD
EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card x2 (debating on this)
EVGA SuperNOVA 1000w Platinum 80+ PSU (fully modular)
Win 7 64 bit Ultimate SP1
Cooler Master Storm Stryker (White) ATX Full Tower Case
Leftover CD/DVD R/W drive (too lazy to glance over )

PC part picker link for those interested.
>http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3CVEs<
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So tell me what you think of the proposed build! Any conflicts I may not have noticed? Do you like the color scheme? Am I going overkill with anything? Just kidding, there is no such thing as overkill .

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Next a few question for you guys (and if I'm in the wrong place, please feel free to move my post or direct me where to take it!):

1) I noticed that while Intel has certified this particular Processor, Motherboard and RAM configuration on their website - other parts of their website say not to go over 1.5v with the Haswell processors? So should I drop to a 1600 speed set at 1.5v or is 2400 @ 1.65 "overclocked" (still new to this). Most importantly, will it be stable, cause damage or reduce the life of the processor.

2) It seems that the only difference between 780 ti's is how "overclocked" they come standard and the HSF/cooling block they come with. If I were to buy a base model 780 ti and overclock it, would I be achieving the same thing at a reduced cost? Or is the "superclocked" version actually worth it?

3) The 2TB HDD to be used in this build is fairly new (~less than 2 months old) and doesn't have much on it so far, save for some school work, the OS and questionably acquired music (shhhh...). Would it be damaging to the drive to just wipe it and start over, since removing windows files can be a real pain? And if it is possible to simply wipe it with minimal wear'n'tear, how would I go about doing that effectively (if there's a post about this already, please point me to it !)

Edit: 4) With the new Z97 boards just around the corner (May... 11th?) I'm planning to hold off on a MOBO purchase with price in mind. It's my understanding that the new Z97 chipset supports things I wont be using like "M.2" some new SSD interfacing method(?). And... well that's really all I know atm as details haven't yet been released on the boards but what are your thoughts? Will there be any advantage in terms of frame rates in engine/editor applications or would it be best to stick with a Z87 board when the new line launches reaping the reward of extra savings?
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Thanks for your time everyone! I look forward to building this with you.

 

[lAnimal]

The specs are good, but can be changed in places.
1) Are you sure you need the 4770k? A 4670k should be enough, also with devil's canyon coming out shortly...
2) Yes, I'd go for the EVGA sc'd 780ti acx, but if you're playing at 1080p only go for one.
3)I'd probably go for the Corsair AX860i instead of the 1000w evga, less if you do go with one card
4) I'd suppose if you already have win 7 ultimate theres no point getting win 8
5) The case is a little old, don't you think? I know it's a great case but you could go for something like the Graphite 760t

 

[Sephonia]

Fair warning - these are long winded.

Thanks for the insights lAnimal. Before I go over my reasons for picking these parts I think it's important to note that I don't have much time to wait for newer parts to release. I only have about a month and even then, that's cutting it. My current PC is having a real hard time handling school projects and I can't afford to do all of my work on campus because the commute would be to expensive.

So, I had gone with the 4770k for both overclocking and future proofing - I intend to be using it for quite some time. There seem to be pretty frequent "deals "on both the 4670k and 4770k but as it is right now, the value discrepancy isn't an issue (as you recall, I thankfully have more money than time.) From what I can tell, the new processor to be released: (Fan-named "Devil's Canyon") 4790 sometime in the "Soon TM" time frame, will feature better "Improved Thermal Interface Material (TIM), Improved packaging materials (they are either referring to the processing packages that are a part of the processor itself, or some REALLY high end packing-peanuts)" So, I suppose I will try and wait as long as I can before I have to make the jump for the processor but that will also delay my motherboard purchase as well if it requires an intel 9 chipset.

As for the EVGA sc'd 780ti ACX, I had the option for two and I was not giving that up - I should also note that this will be used for a 3monitor setup (5760x1080) so I figure having 2 cards probably couldn't hurt.

Now, the PSU! I had looked for a good long while before making a decision there because I realized that skimping on the power supply is probably one of the worst decisions you could make. I came across the EVGA 1000w plat and quite frankly, it's not only cheaper than most other PSU's i could find, but had higher customer reviews, tech reviews and a higher wattage. In my opinion that seemed like a very good deal, not to mention the staggering 10 year warranty. If they plan on insuring it for 10 years, it's likely to last quite a bit longer than that. (Also I already purchased it so... can't really change it now xD)

Lastly, my case choice! My room is small, hot, and dusty (I try to keep up on that as much as possible but between school, work and clubs to help flesh out my portfolio, there isn't much time to be Captain Swiffer ). The case itself seemed to work best for me: Multiple dust screens, easily cleaned mesh grating, solid air flow and room to expand into a custom water loop if/when I can. If anyone knows of a more well contained full size tower with dust screens and good air flow, please point me in the direction! While the Stormstryker looks great, I wouldn't mind if it looked like a giant deuce so long as it effectively cooled my system while being easy to clean.

TL;DR I looked at your criticisms and feel better informed but have decided to stick with these components for now, as I feel they best suit my needs but if possible, I may migrate to a newer processor ("Devil's Canyon") should time permit.

 

[Cru]

yes you can overclock a 780ti yourself and get the same performance, but with the silicon lottery there's no guarantee that you GPU will run that clock stable. i personally wouldn't spend the extra cash on a factory overclocked card

well, sure you can just format the drive. not sure what the actual question is? if you're gonna install your OS on an ssd, just format the hdd

pretty sure there won't be a huge difference between z87 and z97

i'm also not a fan of the storm stryker
what about the corsair 750d, 760t, nzxt h440 or h630 ?

psu is not a bad choice according to jonnyguru

not entirely sure about the other questions

 

[Sephonia]

Thanks for the info about the 780 ti's Cru. Essentially the pre-overclocked versions have a "guarantee" that they can perform stable at that clock, where as a base model could, in all likelihood, achieve that same value for $30.00 less per card (Hell, $60.00 is almost parking for a whole month!). It still seems like the ACX cooler is a good option for fan cooling however, and at $10.00 extra, it seems a bit of a no brainer to opt for it (this model here "EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti w/ EVGA ACX Cooler").

Any particular reason this thread has a unanimous anti-stryker case preference? Is there a high failure rate of any components or is it just shoddily manufactured? I've owned 2 previous Cooler Master Cases, both of which have performed very well and with no incident, so I'm confident in their ability to build a case. I've checked out each model everyone has thrown at me, as well as some others for good measure (on top of my original research) and it seems the StormStryker still fits my intentions best (But honestly, wth do I know. I'm just some kid with some spare change *shrug*)

As for the HDD - yeah, I had planned on making the SSD the boot drive w/ a few read/write intensive applications and just using the 2TB as a mass storage device.

 

[barnsley]

The Storm Stryker is fine, its just not a particularly popular design on OC3D and is getting on a little bit age wise.

 

[lAnimal]

Don't get me wrong, the stryker is a lovely case but as barnsley said, she's quite old now. Also 'air vents' will probably let in a lot of dust unless you have actual dust-filters but they're only £2 a pop

 

[tinytomlogan]

Wouldnt buy an EVGA GPU if it was me....

The Storm Stryker is fine, its just not a particularly popular design on OC3D and is getting on a little bit age wise.

Ahem.......

 

[lAnimal]

Wouldnt buy an EVGA GPU if it was me....

Never heard this one before... explain?

 

[JR23]

Never heard this one before... explain?

If the reason isn't that the ACX fans are terrible it should be. I had to return one of my first pair because it rattled so bad I could hear it from outside the room. The one I replaced it with was better. The second one hates running at 38-40% (basically idle) and makes a similar stupid noise. On thursday I was just sitting around and started to hear an annoying fan noise so I went through stopping each fan in my rig and the one which I thought was good rattles too. On load they aren't bad but when you stop gaming and they start spinning down the cooling fins resonate and clatter. The stack of fins basically isn't tightly assembled and if you wiggle the end ones under the power connector you can tell, as far as I know only the Classifieds are prone to that issue but all of the ACX coolers use the same fans. I've had 3 out of 3 which get on my nerves, one of which was totally shot. Fair enough if they were old girls but i've only been using them for 4 months. It's a bit sad because otherwise they are great and the cooler is actually very quiet and looks well made. Except when it gets hot and the little aluminium trim starts to peel itself away at the end. They are still the only manufacturer that honour their warranty if you fit water blocks though I think. I can tolerate a certain amount of defects but I would find it really hard to recommend one to anybody who isn't just going to throw the cooler back in the box and block it.

JR

 

[QuietOne]

I have a 780 SC w/ACX and mine has been fine. I've had it since August. I have a aggressive fan profile too. Maybe I was lucky.

 

[Sephonia]

Ever wake up and wish you did something different? Just bought the 780 ti's w/ ACX fans *before* checking the forums this morning.

I guess all there is to do now is pray to RNGesus to deliver me from these ill-fated fans @_@ - I did save $200.00 total w/ promo codes though, so worst case scenario I'll just put that towards 2 waterblocks and re-use my old pump/reservoir for a small GPU loop.

 

[lAnimal]

They are still the only manufacturer that honour their warranty if you fit water blocks though I think

I thought the UK was different if you put back on the stock cooler, not sure though.
Also I'm pretty sure MSI allow you once you put back on the cooler

 

[yassarikhan786]

I have a 780 SC w/ACX and mine has been fine. I've had it since August. I have a aggressive fan profile too. Maybe I was lucky.

My card uses the ACX cooler and I've had no problems as well (I've had the card for approximately 5 months).

@OP - So, what I'm saying is that there is nothing wrong with getting an EVGA card. Some people have incredibly bad luck with one brand, whilst others have nothing but good luck. I'd put it down to bad batches/quality control.

 

[Agamemnon]

It is a shame about the fan issue on the acx cooler because it does look really good, at least in my opinion.

 

[wrenaudrey]

If the reason isn't that the ACX fans are terrible it should be. I had to return one of my first pair because it rattled so bad I could hear it from outside the room. The one I replaced it with was better. The second one hates running at 38-40% (basically idle) and makes a similar stupid noise. On thursday I was just sitting around and started to hear an annoying fan noise so I went through stopping each fan in my rig and the one which I thought was good rattles too. On load they aren't bad but when you stop gaming and they start spinning down the cooling fins resonate and clatter. The stack of fins basically isn't tightly assembled and if you wiggle the end ones under the power connector you can tell, as far as I know only the Classifieds are prone to that issue but all of the ACX coolers use the same fans. I've had 3 out of 3 which get on my nerves, one of which was totally shot. Fair enough if they were old girls but i've only been using them for 4 months. It's a bit sad because otherwise they are great and the cooler is actually very quiet and looks well made. Except when it gets hot and the little aluminium trim starts to peel itself away at the end. They are still the only manufacturer that honour their warranty if you fit water blocks though I think. I can tolerate a certain amount of defects but I would find it really hard to recommend one to anybody who isn't just going to throw the cooler back in the box and block it.

JR

Sorry to semi-hijack this thread but, I just found time today to put my newly purchased EVGA 780 SC ACX and the first thing that struck me was this problem that JR had.
For me, the plastic shrouding on the PCI-E connector rattles. It only stops when i put a finger on it or when im 50%+ on fan speed. At that point, you hear the fans.

Good thing I got it from OCUK and its only a short drive away, this card is being replaced. Fingers crossed for the replacement.

 

[Wraith]

The Storm Stryker is fine, its just not a particularly popular design on OC3D and is getting on a little bit age wise.

Ahem.......

:lol: oooh easy boys, lets not have handbags at 5 paces.. :slap:

 

[PunkisDead]

yes you can overclock a 780ti yourself and get the same performance, but with the silicon lottery there's no guarantee that you GPU will run that clock stable

I always wandered about this and can now provide an answer I bought a vanilla EVGA 780ti when these cards first came out and recently complimented it with a factory overclocked little brother. Both have stock coolers. In my case the factory overclocked card runs significantly cooler on the same overclock.